Keep Irving Beautiful Hosts Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off, State’s Signature Event for the “Great American Cleanup”

Irving, TX, April 16, 2017 --(PR.com)-- The “Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off” is the state’s signature event of the “Great American Cleanup,” and is typically held the second Saturday in April in communities all across Texas. Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) hosted their 2017 event on April 8 at Trinity View Park, where a total of 213 volunteers (145 adults and 68 youth) came together with the common goal of picking up litter and keeping it out of the nearby Elm Fork of the Trinity River. After signing in, receiving supplies, and hearing a safety speech, groups of volunteers spread out across the park, along creek beds, tree lines and wooded areas, collecting litter that had been washed into this low-lying area. Their efforts resulting in 1090 pounds of trash and 1160 pounds of recyclables collected.

Following the cleanup, volunteers were treated to a hot dog lunch prepared by volunteers from the City of Irving’s Code Enforcement, Housing and Human Services and HR Departments, with chips donated by longtime sponsor Frito-Lay. They also registered for prize drawings, and many took advantage of the free blood pressure screenings offered by North Lake College nursing students. Other City of Irving departments played a role in the success of this event, including Parks and Recreation, who reserved the park and provided logistic guidance, Solid Waste Services, who provided roll-off containers and weighed the materials collected, and Code Enforcement officers, who transported full bags to a central collection location.

“The Trash-Off is a great community event that is also part of a much bigger picture,” said KIB Board President Jim Scrivner. “Our volunteers are joined by thousands of others in Texas who are participating in their own Trash-Off events today, but this is also part of Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup program, which will engage millions of volunteers throughout the country from March through May.”

Keep Irving Beautiful is a non-profit, grassroots, leadership organization dedicated to educating our community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of our city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of our city including government, business, church, cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. If you are interested in volunteering with KIB, or making your activity a “green event,” please go to Keep Irving Beautiful, or call (972) 721-2175.